This year’s State Singles Championships were held in extremely comfortable weatherconditions. It was fine all day but cooler than one would normally expect in February. Ten players competed in the Women’s competition and thirty-four in the Open, making the total attendance figure just shy of the record set last year.

Both tournaments were very competitive. Of the 145 games played in total on the day, only 3 resulted in a score of zero, and no player in either division managed to get through the whole day without conceding at least one game (more orders for “I beat the Champion” Tshirts).Over the last year or so, the talent pool of SA petanque has been bolstered by the arrival of a number of new but experienced players. Several of these new faces featured prominently in the day’s proceedings...

In the Women’s competition it was Giselle Whiteaker, appearing in her first SA Singles, who put up the strongest showing during the preliminary and qualifying rounds. However, a couple of marathon efforts at the end may have taken their toll. In the final, it was the other standout qualifier, Melissa Scott, who finished with the upper hand. As the defending champion, Melissa’s victory makes her the first person in the history of the Women’s Singles competition to successfully defend her state title and win it twice in a row – a great achievement.Continue reading→